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Tag: Olumide Akpata

  • JUST IN: Olumide Akpata loses father, uncle

    JUST IN: Olumide Akpata loses father, uncle

    Olumide Akpata, former president of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) has announced the death of his father – Dr Henry Akpata, and his uncle – Dr. Sunny Akpata.

    Akpata, a candidate of the Labour Party (LP) in the Edo State off-cycle gubernatorial election had taken a break off social media after the polls in September 2024.

    In October 2024, he announced his decision not to approach the Edo State Gubernatorial Election Petition Tribunal.

    Akpata on his verified ‘X’ handle on Monday, February 24, said: “My hiatus from social media for the past 4 months has understandably sparked discussions and speculations about the reason(s) for my absence. While some assumed that I merely “disappeared” after the elections, others have even gone ahead to suggest – rather fancifully – that I was “bought and paid for.”

    “As I have consistently done in the past, I feel compelled to share the circumstances that necessitated my enforced silence and absence, even as I apologise to my friends, associates, supporters and well-wishers for being kept in the dark.

    Read Also: FG sets up committee to address challenges of fibre optic damage during road construction

    “During the gubernatorial campaigns, I suffered a profound personal loss: the passing of my uncle, my father’s immediate elder brother, Dr. Sunny Akpata, one of the persons who shaped my values, and who stood as a second father to me.

    “The urgency of the campaign delayed our chance to properly honour him, and it was only in November 2024 that we finally laid him to rest with the dignity he deserved.

    “Yet life, in its unpredictability, demanded more of me. Shortly thereafter, my father, Dr Henry Akpata – my sole surviving parent for 33 years and my unwavering pillar – fell gravely ill. For months, my world narrowed to his care, a sacred duty I embraced without hesitation. Despite our hopes, by the unquestionable will of our Lord and maker, he departed peacefully on 10th January 2025, surrounded by close family.

    “As I said on the occasion of his 84th birthday on 29 May 2024, he was a steadfast anchor who guided me and my sisters with a gentle hand and a deep commitment to our wellbeing, and it was his unobtrusive nature that allowed me to be the person that I am today. His departure marks the end of an era, but I remain profoundly grateful for the time we shared and the legacy he leaves behind.

    “To the people of Edo State and Nigeria, I acknowledge these are deeply challenging times. These past months have reinforced a truth I hold dear: that leadership is meaningless without humanity. I have walked through the valley of personal grief, just as many of you navigate daily struggles—economic hardship, insecurity, and the quiet toll of uncertainty. I see you. I hear you. And I am more determined than ever to stand with you, not merely for you.

    “As we prepare to celebrate my father’s 84 years of sacrifice, wisdom, and love – a legacy that will forever anchor my purpose, let me reassure you that very soon, I will resume my public engagement with renewed vigour. As I have in the past, I once again pledge to walk this journey with you, transparently and steadfastly, every step of the way.”

  • Elupee candidate

    Elupee candidate

    It still baffles me, the video clip. Is it a work of artificial intelligence or a temporary loss of intelligence. I saw the clip of Labour Party candidate Olumide Akpata while lamenting his prospect. He was referring to a poll as his buoy of hope. It was not a poll by a university or funded by even a political party, not commissioned by his own party or any other one. But by who? A TV anchor. And he referred to it as a reason he thought he was headed not just for victory, but a landslide.

    Read Also: Niger Delta: Troops kill two armed vandals, arrest 18 others in war against economic sabotage

    I like to think he was not the one. After all, he is supposed to be a man of evidence  as a former president of the Nigerian Bar Association. For him to stoop to fiction, gives one a window on how the rabble of that party thinks. It is the sort of delirium that works that crowd.

    They performed so poorly in Edo guber poll that I wonder why TV stations present the numbers as though it were a three horse race. The third horse has not hoofbeat and cannot neigh.

  • Edo 2024: LP’s Imansuangbon seeks Akpata’s disqualification

    Edo 2024: LP’s Imansuangbon seeks Akpata’s disqualification

    Ahead of the September 21 governorship election in Edo State, a governorship aspirant in the Labour Party (LP), Kenneth Imansuangbon, has sued the party’s standard-bearer, Olumide Akpata, at the Court of Appeal.

    He joined LP and Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) as co-defendants.

    Read Also: Edo 2024: LP’s Imansuangbon seeks Akpata’s disqualification, heads for appellate court 

    Imansuangbon, an industrialist, popularly called Riceman, following his regular distribution of free bags of rice to Edo residents across the 18 local governments, said yesterday in Benin that he was dissatisfied with the judgments of Justice Babatunde Quadri of the Federal High Court (FHC), Benin and Justice Obiora Egwuatu of FHC, Abuja, which dismissed his applications on July 15 and 22. He consequently headed for the appellate court.

    In the suit before the Court of Appeal, Abuja, on the first ground of his appeal, Imansuangbon said the judge erred in law and arrived at a perverse decision, occasioning a miscarriage of justice to the plaintiff/appellant, when he dismissed the plaintiff’s/appellant’s suit on the strength of the 1st defendant’s/respondent’s contention in his preliminary objection at the lower court.

  • Doctors reportedly boycott NMA’s interaction in Edo

    Doctors reportedly boycott NMA’s interaction in Edo

    Some medical doctors in Edo state reportedly failed to attend an interactive session organized by the Edo Branch of the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) with, Olumide Akpata, the Labour Party’s governorship candidate for November 21 election.

    It was gathered that the event, scheduled to commence at 4 pm on Saturday at the Doctors’ House in Ugbowo, Benin City, was graced by a few executive members of the MMA, Akpata and his running mate Alhaji Asamah Yusuf Kadiri.

    Recall that Akpata was recently corrected by the Oba of Benin in his palace when he claimed to be a son of the palace.

    Read Also: Olumide Akpata: I’m not Obaseki’s mole, LP is party of choice in Edo

    A member of the NMA, who pleaded anonymity said: “Of course, we didn’t ask anyone to stay away. We extended invitations to all three major aspirants.

    “The APC candidate asked that he should be represented by his deputy, and we declined, but I expected our members to come out and listen to the Labour man today. These things are voluntary, so only those who are not here can say why they chose to stay away.”

    It was learnt that the doctors showed up a week earlier to listen to the PDP candidate, Dr. Asue Ighodalo, at the same venue.

    During that session, Ighodalo promised to allocate 15% of the Edo state budget to healthcare if elected governor.

    The Edo state governorship elections are scheduled to take place on September 21.

  • BREAKING: Olumide Akpata emerges Edo LP Gov candidate

    BREAKING: Olumide Akpata emerges Edo LP Gov candidate

    Former National Chairman of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) Olumide Akpata has been declared winner of Edo Labour Party (LP) Governorship primary election.

    Akpata scored 316 votes to win the exercise held in Benin City, the Edo State capital, on Friday.

    Read Also: BREAKING: Okpebholo emerges Edo APC Gov candidate

    The Deputy governor of Abia State, Ikechukwu Emetu, who is the returning officer for the poll made the declaration after collating the results.

    Details shortly…

  • ‘Edo LP ticket should be given to a credible contender’

    ‘Edo LP ticket should be given to a credible contender’

    Ahead of the Edo State Labour Party (LP) governorship primary, scheduled to be held on February 22, human rights activist and former president of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Olumide Akpata has enjoined party faithful to consider picking a credible and trusted person to fly the flag of the party in the off-cycle election.

    In a statement, Akpata, 51, said he has all that it takes to ensure victory for the party in the election scheduled for Saturday, September 21, 2024. He said he is in the governorship race to make Edo State a better place for all residents.

    The relatively young and successful lawyer believes his antecedents make him the candidate to beat. “As long as there is a level playing field, I am confident of clinching the LP ticket,” he said. 

    He added: “It is out of interest that we have come to rescue this state and Nigeria. I cannot be the hireling of anybody. I’m in it so I will do it with everything I have and get positive results. I am not from a family of failures. We are an honourable family; we do things with decency and vigour.

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    Edo is one, and we must all work together to make Edo State a better place for all. Our delegates must be very wise in choosing their candidate because any wrong choice of candidate for the LP will not mean well for us. The task of building Edo State and Nigeria lies with us.”

    Born on October 7, 1972, Akpata is a distinguished legal practitioner and politician and a scion of the respected Akpata family in Usen, Ovia Southwest, Edo State. He believes that his family’s rich legacy in both the public and private spheres in Edo State has played a significant role in shaping his commitment to success and his subsequent impact on Templars, the law firm he co-partnered with his cousin, as well as the broader society.

    On his background, he said: “My roots are deeply embedded in Edo State, and the Akpata family name is synonymous with distinction. I am the son of Mr. Akpata and Mrs. Patience Oluwafunmilayo Akpata (Nee Obasahon), both pillars of excellence in their own right.

    “My uncle, Justice Ephraim Akpata, earned reverence as a jurist who made an indelible mark on the legal system. The Akpata family boasts a long history of distinguished members in both the public and private sectors, laying a solid foundation for my unwavering commitment to success. This commitment has been evident since my early years and has laid the groundwork for my future endeavours.”

    He had his primary education in Warri, Delta State. Afterwards, he proceeded to the prestigious King’s College, Lagos for his secondary education. He studied law at the University of Benin, where he graduated in 1992. Following this, he was called to the bar in 1993.

    The LP governorship aspirant sees himself as a go-getter. This is captured in the following words: “In 1996, I relocated to Lagos and joined forces with my cousin, Oghogho Akpata, to co-found Templars, a law firm that would become a powerhouse in Nigeria’s legal landscape. At the age of 23, my involvement in the establishment of Templars marked the beginning of a success story. Over the years, I have been instrumental in transforming Templars into one of the largest law firms in Nigeria.”

    As a senior partner and the head of the Corporate & Commercial Practice Group at Templars, Akpata was instrumental in shaping the firm’s trajectory. He led the firm through major transactions that not only advanced Templars’ reputation but also had a lasting impact on commercial law practice in Nigeria. Under his leadership, Templars expanded its workforce to about 100 lawyers, including two Senior Advocates of Nigeria (SAN), demonstrating Akpata’s ability to foster a dynamic and capable legal team.

    His role as the chairman of the NBA Section on Business Law (NBA-SBL) further solidified his commitment to excellence within the legal profession. Akpata’s influence within Templars was marked by a dedication to maintaining high professional standards, creating a legacy of legal excellence within the firm.

    In July 2020, Akpata made history by emerging as the NBA national president. His victory, by a significant margin over two strong members of the inner bar, Dr. Babajide Ajibade (SAN) and Julius Dele Adesina (SAN), marked a turning point. For the first time in about three decades, the president of the NBA emerged from outside the rank of Senior Advocates, challenging the exclusivity that had characterized the Bar Presidency.

    Akpata’s triumph not only reflected his achievements but also symbolized a shift in the dynamics of legal leadership in Nigeria. His victory demonstrated that merit, competence, and commitment to the legal profession could override traditional barriers. It was a testament to his ability to mobilize support and create a coalition against the established order within the legal community.

    Beyond the legal arena, Akpata has in the past shown commitment to societal well-being. He has contributed positively in various facets of community life, through his involvement in community development projects, philanthropic endeavours and other outreach programmes.

    In August 2023, he took a bold step by resigning from Templars to actualize his ambition to govern Edo State. This move highlighted his desire to contribute to the broader political landscape, bringing his wealth of experience and leadership to a new arena. How far he would go in this regard, however, remains to be seen.